Blood Hearts
by FrostbittenFae
Summary: Corona is a young girl from a poor family. Hunter is the mysterious newcommer to the quiet village of Arachna. One day, she discovers his bloody secret...
1. Chapter 1

_**Spit Fire**_

THIS IS NOT ANYWHERE CLOSE TO THE ACTUAL SPIDER RIDERS ANIME!

Just thought I'd clarify for anyone who has NEVER actually seen the anime, or read the books.

HunterxCorona

If you don't like the pairing, DON'T READ!

IMPLIED lemons. No Actual lemons, but they are IMPLIED. If they were not IMPLIED, then this would not be rated T.

ENJOY!

_**Hunter's POV:**_

He'd really done it now. Hunter inwardly smacked himself for not being more careful. A _**HUMAN**_ girl had seen him feeding. Never mind he was living the 'vegan' lifestyle, only drinking animal blood, but she had seen the feral side of the supposedly human apprentice of the black smith. Now he had to take care of one of the few humans he actually liked, and disappear for another century.

Oracle must truly hate him.

_**Corona's POV:**_

I _KNEW_ there was something wrong with him! He talks as if he were born in the freaking dark ages, he never eats at feasts, and he sleeps all day! HE'S A VAMPIRE! AHHHHH! He's going to KILL ME! Why didn't I listen to my sister? Why did I have to go for an evening stroll! WHY? Crap! He's gaining! Goodbye Aqune! Good bye cruel world!

_**Nones POV:**_

Hunter tackled the blonde, sending her small purse flying into the icy river. He covered her mouth so she could'nt scream, her legs and arms flailing in a futile attempt to escape. She stopped as she felt his other hand take possition on the back of her neck. She could see Hunter's face, now clean of blood. His face was rigid, though his eye's showed remorse for what he was about to do. The blonde shut her eyes, waiting for the inevitable snap of her spine. It never came. Instead, she felt her self be rolled onto her back, looking strait at him.

" I'm pretty sure you'd prefer plan B." he said, before pokeing a point on her neck. Corona immediately blacked out, Hunter hoisting her over his shoulder as he ran off up the mountains.

_****_

_**Corona's POV:**_

The ground felt so soft and silky...I could see a lit fire place, and crème walls with gold lights. My clothes were on a chair, a new dress folded next to the bed. The blankets were pure silk, expaining the ground's odd state a few moments ago. A sudden realization hit me. If my clothes were on the other side of my room...

" About time you woke up." I shot up, seeing my captor sitting casualy by the fire place, reading. His usal ratty t-shirt and jeans were gone, in their place an elegant long-sleeved shirt with black pants. I hated to admit it, but he looked rather handsome.

" You creep! You undressed me!" I squealed, not noticeing the night gown I was wearing.

" Would you prefer hypothermia?" he asked smugly. " I could'nt let a woman sleep in soaked clotheing. My morales are the only thing that keep me sane. Besides, I'm not a pervert."

" Well, you sure fooled me." I muttered darkly. The sicko actualy laughed at me! " Killing me earlier would have saved you allot of trouble."

" Murdering curious girls is'nt my style." he said as he went for the door. " By the way, don't think about trying to leave. I will find you and drag you back myself, if you don't freeze to death first."

" Wha-!" He silenced me.

" Don't worry. You won't want for anything. Besides, I get rather lonely being alone year after year." I did'nt like where he was going with this. If he thought for one second I would be his concubine, he had another thing coming!

" I already told you, I have morales." he said, as if reading her thoughts. " It would be rather nice if you would warm up enough to carry on a conversation. It does get pretty boreing once you read through the entire library eight times. Dinner is in half an hour. If you want to interrogate me further, I'll be waiting."

Before I could yell never, he was gone. My stomach grumbled. Damn the necessity of food. I reluctantly pulled on the dress, finding it fit perfectly. I cracked open the door, coming face to face with a little post-it note with directions to the dineing room in the portrait of a young, blonde female. For some reason, it reminded me of my captor. Shakeing the thought, I tiptoed down the hall, dreading the moment I would finally reach my destination.


	2. Chapter 2

Ch2

_****_

_**Hunter's POV:**_

She looks so much like her. Maybe that's why I couldn't kill her. It must be. I've been able to kill a human before. Oracle, she looks so much like Mia...

" Master, your guest is approaching." declared Shadow quietly. The two Spiders were rarely up at night, guarding the castle from prying eyes during the day. Shadow's mate, Venus, was busy spinning new clothes and spare sheets for the human girl. The smell of the food he had prepared was nauseating, but the human had to eat. Honestly, even if he could not eat the delicacies on the table, it would be pleasurable to remember even such a simple act of humanity. He silently thanked his mother for teaching how to cook all those years ago.

" Oh..." the girl sounded disappointed at his presence. He could feel the fear radiating from her. He almost laughed as the thought crossed his mind._ She thinks I'm going to EAT her!_

" Don't worry. The only one eating in this castle is you." his answer seemed to sooth her, as she tentatively sat down.

" Why? Are you going to attack helpless people on the road?"

" No." her question was fair, even if answering some of them would turn out to be tedious. " I only drink animal blood, and if I must drink human blood, I never kill them. All the humans are quite safe from me." Obviously this did not satisfy her.

" I thought that's what you monsters do." she was still wary. I knew it would take her a while to get used to her life here.

" Generally, yes. It's much simpler to merely kill said victim, but I prefer not to have any deaths on my head. Besides, it's much easier to stay inconspicuous when people aren't disappearing left and right." I couldn't help but notice her mouth twitch, either in disgust or relief.

" Then how come so many people have gone missing?" she looked strait at me, eyes both angry and genuinely curious. Oracle, how she reminded me of Mia!

" I'll admit, some of them were my doing, but most due to their own stupidity." I took a drink of water, one of the few human foods I could actually stomach. It helped control the burning in my throat. " Remember Roran Calbari?"

" Yes..." she looked a little disgusted.

" He was the serial rapist loose in Arachna." her eyes widened. " He was a threat to the balance of the community, so he had to be removed. As with Amelia Rose, she was stealing livestock. Rolf White, he was trafficking human slaves. The only people I have killed are threats to Humans, not including the three from my days as a newborn." I chuckled. She obviously didn't think it was funny.

I noticed she hadn't eaten any food. " The food is for you." I prompted. She looked nervously at the spread. " It's not poisoned. I'm not going to kill the one companion I have that doesn't refer tome as 'Master'." I gestured to the giant Spiders. Corona flinched.

" Venus will help you with anything you may need during the day." I said flatly. I smiled approvingly as she took a bite of the roast. " She will also spin new clothes for you when you need them, and be your guide to the castle grounds."

" Alright..."

" And under no circumstances are you to me in the south wing without me or Venus or Shadow." I warned. " It is in severe disrepair and it would be dangerous for you to be there alone." She nodded. I took this as a good sign.

" How old are you?" the question surprised me somewhat, but considering my earlier comments on reading through a library eight times, it was a legit thing to ask.

" I've been 17 for 498 years." The girl did a double take, dropping her food. I smirked.

_**Corona's POV:**_

" 498 YEARS?" How could anyone, even a vampire, be that old?

" Yup. I knew your great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great Grandfather. He was my family's gardener." he said, sighing. " I remember how he died to. Poor man died of cancer on my fifteenth birthday. Must have been a painful way to go."

He knew my family. Was he _stalking_ me?

" No I'm not stalking you. I merely recognized the family name of Nuuma." DAMN! How did he know what I was thinking?

" Get out of my head!"

" I apologize. Your so easy to read, I can't help myself." That smile was starting to get annoying. I suddenly remembered my family in Arachna.

" Can...can I ever see my family again?" I was almost afraid of his answer.

" It depends." he said, after a long pause. " If you plan to rat me out, I cannot allow it. If you can keep your mouth shut, it is a possibility to let you have a few supervised visits."

" What happens if I rat you out?" I was definitely afraid of his answer this time.

" You would not like what I would have to do to them if you succeded.. Of course, I won't make their demise painful." I almost cried, envisioning my sister in the same position I had been in a few hours ago.

" Do not worry to much. If they found their way up here, I would not deny you contact." He got up to leave, the sun riseing through the window. " But remember, NOTHING goes on in this castle without me knowing." With that he walked calmly out the door.

" Don't worry miss." the pink Spider, presumably Venus, said calmly. " The Master's bark is allot worse than his bite. I doubt he would make you sad by killing your relatives. He knows how painful it is, more than most."

" What do you mean by that?" I was genuinely curious. Why would a vampire care about human's emotions?

" He was once Human too." she explained. " With parents and siblings. He, in the haze of a newborn's blood lust, killed them all." I stiffened, immageining the horrible possibilities.

" It is dificult to lose your family, but it even worse to know you killed them, when you cannot die." I clicked on the last word.

" He can't die?"

" No." The blue Spider spoke this time. " Only another vampire can kill a vampire, and he is the only one he's come across since the one that turned him left. You could not immagine how it must feel to be everlasting, watching the people around you age and die while you remain the same."

I opened my mouth to argue, but the truth of the Spider's words struck me dumb.

" No. I cannot know." with that, the blue Spider left to patrol the grounds while Venus stayed with me. The food tasted good. I still could'nt help but wonder why he had kept me alive, when he had easily killed other's before.


	3. Chapter 3

CH3!

_****_

_**Corona's POV:**_

Hunter's been a very good prison guard. He hasn't touched me, hasn't tried to eat me, and hasn't let me leave since I arrived here a month ago. Can't really say life is so bad though. Sure, I still have to work on my sleep cycle, but the library is amazing, and the food is delicious. It turns out that most of it comes from his 'hunting trips', as I call them, and the rest from a green house in the castle. Although why a Vampire needs a green house, I'll never know. Probably something to occupy time.

I still can't figure out why he won't kill me, and why he takes such good care of me. I think it's out of some sort of twisted guilt, but he never answers my questions about it.

" Do vampires get chilly?" I asked innocently. Oracle, how could he STAND the night air.

" No."

_**Nones POV**_

" So, vampires don't feel the cold?" asked Corona, standing out in the cool garden in the dim twilight.

" No. We don't feel heat, cold or hunger." answered Hunter, arms crossed behind his back.

" So how do you know when your 'thirsty'?"

" There's a burning in my throat, and if I ignore it it gets very painful." he sighed. " In fact, it never really goes away."

" Oh. Can you go out during the day?" Corona was always ready with more questions. Hunter smirked.

" Yes, but I get awful migraines if there's not enough cloud coverage. I can't be killed by a wooden stake, or silver bullets or a cross either." Corona shook her head, amazed he could always tell exactly what she was thinking.

" Then what about garlic?"

" Personally, I've never cared for it, but it is not a fool proof way to ward off vampires." Corona frowned. Hunter guessed she was planning to string garlic around her room to keep him away while she slept.

" So, what IS a way to ward off Vampires?" she asked, jabbing him in the shoulder.

Hunter sighed. " Reptile blood. It makes us sick. If I drank it, I could die." Corona paled.

" ...What happens when a vampire dies?" she asked quietly. Hunter shivered.

" It's horrible. We turn into bloody Jello, and feel whatever killed us until we are revived by our creator." Hunter's voice was barely a whisper. " Or we turn brittle as a statue, and crumble to dust."

" What a way to go..." whispered Corona. She could still see how bare the garden was in the dying sun. Hunter seemed to sense her thoughts.

" You wish there were flowers?" he asked quietly.

" Yes. I kind of miss them." she sighed. " We had flowers in our little yard at home next to the vegetables."

" You want to see some?" Corona looked at him in confusion as he led her down the spiral stair case to the basement. The stairs were well lit, bathing the aged grey stone in an eerie light. She could see ripped paintings on the walls, as if slashed with a butcher knife.

" I destroyed them." he answered simply. " I did not wish to see my old face."

" But why. Your handsome..." she said, holding together two halves of a face. His skin was a little darker in life, his usual frown replaced with a happy smile.

" Because every time I see them, I remember the humanity I lost. It helps me forget things I don't want to remember." Suddenly he stopped, pulling open a door at the bottom. Artificial light glowed from the ceiling, a huge vegetable and flower garden living under the ancient foundation of the castle. Long vines bearing wall flowers or peppers coiled around stone pillars, luscious berries dotting large bushes. Circular stepping stones made a path through the entire maze, hundreds of types of fruit trees and vegetable patches lining the path.

" It's beautiful..." whispered the blond.

" This is where all of your fruit and vegetables are from." stated the red head. " It is a bit of a replacement for outside."

" YOU take care of this?"

" I'm the only one besides you with opposable thumbs here." he said flatly. " You can come down here any time you want."

Corona grabbed him, hugging him tightly. Hunter stayed still as a statue.

" Some times it's hard to immageine you drink the blood of others to survive." she said into his shoulder. " Your to nice to be the monster my father always said to avoid."

" Don't spout nonsense." hissed Hunter. " I kill so I can survive. I don't deserve kindness from you." He shoved her away, vanishing in a heartbeat.


	4. Chapter 4

Ch4!

Corona looked around in disbelief. He wasn't there. The dark gray spiral staircases were empty, none of his usual haunts held any sign of life, and he was not waiting for her at dinner. The castle felt...empty.

"Venus!" called the blond as the pink Spider came into view. The Spider spun around and looked at her in surprise.

"Yes, lady Corona?"

"Where is Hunter?" Venus looked at her nervously.

"He's...preoccupied at the moment." she said meekly.

"I asked where he was." Corona got the suspicion that she was hiding something from her.

Venus fidgeted. "He's out hunting." she finally admitted. "He ordered me not to tell you in case it disturbed you."

"Vampires got to eat too." she frowned at her words, remembering all the stories of how evil Vampires were that her father had preached about. Corona sighed, bored. She walked slowly down one of the arched corridors, admiring the architecture and lush red velvet carpets. She stopped as a dark corner caught her eye, something shimmering in the shadows. She gently moved a deep violet curtain aside, seeing a silver door handle attached to an oak door. She wiggled the handle, discovering it was unlocked.

_Should I?_ She wondered. Suddenly she heard a creaking from the other side of the door, as if someone was rolling over in bed. Corona paled. _Is...is someone else here?_ She slowly opened the door, revealing a dimly lit room. Drops and puddles of blood littered the floor, though it looked years old. One painting hung over the unlit fire place. In it was an auburn haired man, standing behind a platinum blond woman. With them were two children, probably one or two years in age difference. The woman had emerald green eyes, with very pale skin. The man had chocolate brown eyes, with a ruddy complexion. The two children had the woman's complexion, the girl with sapphire blue eyes and blond hair, the boy a very young Hunter. It looked to clean, for a room seemingly forgotten behind the tapestries. Suddenly she heard footsteps in the hall. Peeking through the door, she saw a familiar black cloak against the gray stone pillars. His face was even paler than usual, and he looked as if he was going to be sick. She could see the red on his white shirt in large blossoms, not unlike the roses in the garden under the rosewood floors. One hand was against the smooth wall, his legs were shaking. Corona quietly slipped out of the room, tiptoeing up behind him.

"Corona, what's wrong?" she stopped, unnerved that he knew who it was without seeing her. His voice was strained, and she could detect the lines of pain in his voice.

"Are you alright?" she looked down as a wet squish was audible under her foot. A large drop of blood soaked the carpet, nearly undetectable in the deep red color.

"I'm...fine." he turned to face her, his cloak shifting just enough to reveal the gored wound in his stomach, as his eyes shut and he collapsed into her.

"Ohmygodohmygodohmygod!" suddenly Shadow came barreling down the hall, Venus not far behind. All Corona could do was hang on to him as Shadow yelled to Venus, scooping the tiny human and his master up and racing to the south wing.


	5. Chapter 5

"Citizens of Arachna!" yelled the aging brunette, his arm smothered in blood. Igneous was a proud man, and obsessed with destroying any threat to the city. Though poor, he had standing in the city, and two perfect daughters. But one was missing, and probably dead or in the clutches of _him_. "We have been deceived by the former blacksmith apprentice!" murmurs echoed through the square.

"Why are you covered in blood?" yelled Lumen, the lord's son. His sister, Sparkle, hid behind him.

"A Vampire." he roared. "The boy we took in, has tricked us! Hunter Steele is a Vampire!" shrieks and shocked yells echoed through the city.

"He took Corona!" yelled Aqune angrily. She rarely showed emotion, but rage was evident in her eyes. "They disappeared on the same day!"

"She must be his prisoner!" gasped the baker.

"We must kill the Vampire!" roared Magma, the watchman.

"Follow the trail of blood!" commanded Igneous. "KILL THE VAMPIRE!"

"A bed?" asked Corona, laying him down on the large bed amid the deep green satin blankets. The wound was almost healed, but it still bled sluggishly.

"The whole coffin thing is a myth." said Shadow as he heated up some snow in the fire place, turning it into warm water. "If they can avoid it, they will. They really are uncomfortable."

"What happens now?" asked Corona, worry evident in her sapphire eyes.

"He'll re-cooperate for a few days." said Venus simply. "It takes allot more than a simple sword to kill a Vampire, though the man who did this must have been pretty strong and fast to catch him like that."

Corona frowned. "How do you know it's a man?"

"The wound had to have been made by a double-handed sword, and the only ones in Arachna are much to heavy for most women to hold." explained Venus. "For that angle, he must have been damn tall too. At least six feet."

Corona gasped, paling. "M-my father is the only one in the city that tall!" the scene of her father brutally attacking him filled her mind, each one worse and bloodier than the last. Venus and Shadow looked at each other, mandibles twitching.

"It's safe to say your Father thinks Hunter either kidnapped you, or killed you." groaned Shadow. "He'll come here and tear this place inside out looking for him. In his current condition, he won't be able to fight back."

Corona shivered. "But...he can't die, can he?"

Venus sighed. "Yes. He's barely stronger than a human at the moment. If he is attacked again like that, he will die."

Corona collapsed into a chair by the fireplace, mind reeling. A sudden thought bolted across her mind.

"What if I went back?" Shadow leaped to his feet, scolding her on the dangers of the mountain side. Venus looked completely shocked.

"But...You'll freeze to death!" exclaimed the pink Spider, regaining some composure.

"If I can get down to the city, I can tell them I got lost, or come up with some other lie. They won't come after Hunter." she bit her lip nervously. "He'll be safe."

"But you will be putting yourself in danger." sighed Shadow. He glanced at Hunter, the red head still asleep. "He'd never allow it."

She grabbed a spare blanket, using a letter opener to slice a hole in it to make a hood. "Sometimes what's best for you isn't what you desire. I will not let my Father kill him, even if he feels he doesn't deserve to be saved."

"We cannot go with you." said Shadow gravely. "We cannot survive in such cold for much more than a few minutes."

"Goodbye." she said, carefully stepping down the ruined staircase. "I will keep him safe, even if I die trying."

_A life for a life. I won't let anyone I love be hurt._

Hunter blinked sleepily as he surfaced consciousness. The wind howled angrily, rattling the aging shutters. The rip in his shirt was still smothered in blood, the skin as healthy as before.

"Master! Your awake!" exclaimed Venus, relieved. Hunter shot up, eyes narrowing.

"Why aren't you with Corona?" he asked, anger tainting his voice. He remembered seeing her before he blacked out, and he could not feel her presence in the large castle.

"She left to intercept the Humans." stated Shadow. "She wants to save you from them." Hunter leaped out of bed, fangs descending automatically.

"Idiot!" he hissed. "She'll freeze to death!"

"Master! Wait!" Venus' plea fell on deaf ears as he dashed down the staircase with super human speed. The front gates clashed as he barged through, his still heart racing in his mind.

_I will not let anyone else I love die!_


	6. Chapter 6

Hunter tripped over a lump in the snow, slicing open his hand as he caught himself on the jagged stone hillside. He quickly brushed off the snow when the mound made a soft noise. Corona was barely two miles from the castle, and she had collapsed from freezing limbs.

"Corona!" he hissed, wrapping her up in the thick, fur lined cloak he had grabbed before leaving, hugging her tightly to his body. "What the hell is wrong with you? Do you have a damn death wish?"

"C-cold..." she chattered, shivering. "I-I-I d-don't w-want you t-to d-d-die."

"I'm not going to die!" he said grumpily. "I've been evading humans for nearly five centuries! I know how to stay hidden. Now we are going back to the castle before you freeze to death!" still carrying the blond, he raced back up the icy stone slope, his senses to dull to realize the humans hot on his trail.

_**Spider Riders Spider Riders Spider Riders Spider Riders Spider Riders Spider Riders Spider Riders.**_

"Stay here." commanded the red head, pulling off her soaked dress and pulling on an old button-up shirt while wrapping her in blankets by the fire. Corona shivered, sipping carefully at the hot tea Hunter had made her and practically forced her to drink.

"But t-they'll come for you!" she insisted. Hunter shot her a warning glare as she attempted to stand.

"You are staying put." he said very firmly. "You are lucky to be alive! You are not setting foot outside of this castle until spring, got it? I don't care if the villages try to kill me, you are staying put!"

"B-" she began,only to be shushed by him.

"No buts. I can handle myself." He hid his bandaged hand in his sleeve. He knew he was lying. If he didn't drink some blood soon, he would be a dead man. If they came for him now, he'd have little chance of surviving. But he had to keep her safe, even if it meant lying.

"Stay here. I'm going to go to the stable for a quick pig, and I'll be right back. All this moving around in daylight has made me hungry. Do not leave the parlor." Corona settled into the old couch in front of the fire place, focusing on the warming of her limbs as he quickly vanished from her sight. Suddenly she heard the door creak. Without looking behind her, she sighed contently.

"That was fast. You usually take longer to feed, Hunter. Change your mind on the pig blood?"

"Why do you sound so at ease?" Corona froze. She craned her neck around to see her father looming behind her, sword drawn.

"Father!" she squeaked, noticing the blood on his arm, the sweet smell of Vampire blood so strong, even she could detect it. Her eyes narrowed. As much as she loved her Father, trying to kill her love was not forgivable. "What are you-" She squeaked as he grabbed her arm, holding his sword against her throat.

"The bastard changed you, didn't he?" he growled. "Don't worry sweet heart, I'll end your misery as a Vampire before I tear him limb from limb."

"I-" she began. Suddenly her father was knocked into the wall, cracking it slightly. Hunter looked feral, eyes raging fire and blood still staining his lips. His fangs were fully visible as an animal growl vibrated in his throat.

"How dare you try and murder your own daughter?" he hissed venomously.

"You corrupted my child, and murdered innocent people!" thundered Igneous, regaining composure as the other villagers filed in, carrying improvised weapons and torches. "You will die tonight, monster!"

"You lied to all of us!" yelled the blacksmith.

"You killed my children!" screeched Galina, mother of Ash and Anna, the twins who had drowned in the river last fall.

"KILL THE MONSTER!" roared the villagers, closing in.

"STOP IT!" yelled Corona. All the villagers stopped, jaws dropping in amazement. Aqune catapulted out of the crowd, latching onto her, sobbing in relief.

"Your alive!" she wailed, burring her face in the blankets.

"Yes, I'm alive!" she yelled, so everyone could hear her. "And Hunter is not a monster!"

"He's a murderer!"

"He's a liar!"

"He killed innocent children and citizens!"

"He's not human!" yelled her father, loudest of all. "Anything not human does not deserve to live!" the villagers roared in agreement.

"Father, stop!" pleaded Aqune. "Corona is alive, and healthy! Don't hurt him for crimes we have no proof he committed!"

"You will do well to respect your Father's wishes!" spat Igneous. "Get away from him and let me carve out his heart! He is a monster, so he is guilty!"

"As tedious as eternal life is, if you think I'm going down without a fight, your sure as hell in for a surprise." hissed Hunter, getting on the defensive. Corona felt a pang of fear vibrate through her spine. She had never seen Hunter like this before, and honestly, he looked beyond pissed off. Then she saw the coffins the villagers carried, the age-bleached bones thrown carelessly on the floor. One man, one woman and one child. Their clothes still hung ragged and blood stained from their bones, a few hairs still clinging stubbornly to their skulls. Despite their gristly appearance, there was no doubt that they were the people in the portrait, Hunter's parents and sister.

"This is proof enough of your crimes!" yelled Igneous, grabbing his sisters remains, and throwing them to the ground, shattering the bones in her left arm and neck. You could almost hear Hunters temper snap as he growled like a feral cougar, clawing with his sharp nails at Igneous. The rest of the villager's nerve failed them, running in a mob out of the castle. Aqune was still clinging to her sister.

"He's mad?" asked Aqune quietly.

"Dad destroyed his sister's body." she stated hollowly.

"But, monsters don't feel!"

"Hunter does." Corona blocked out the fight from her mind, ignoring her father's insulting yells and Hunter's enraged snarls. "He spared my life and took care of me here. He's possibly the kindest person I've ever met, immortal or not."

"YOU WILL PAY FOR DESECRATEING MY SISTER'S CORPSE!" he roared, goring Igneous' left arm. Blood splattered as Igneous grabbed his sword aiming upwards for Hunter's chest.

"Dad! STOP!" screeched the girls, horrified as the sword went clean through him. Igneous promptly kicked Hunter, still breathing, into the wall, grinning triumphantly.

"The sword is impregnated with snakes blood." he said darkly. "You'll suffer plenty before you die. Come along girls.

"No." hissed Corona, shoving past him and pulling the sword out of Hunter, praying it would heal at least a little. "I'm not going anywhere with a killer."

"Then die with him!" he yelled, running the sword through her leg, destroying every vein and artery he could. With that he dragged Aqune out, leaving the two alone as they had been found. Suddenly spider threads wrapped around her leg, bandaging the wound.

"You have a chance to survive!" panted Venus. Shadow was busy making his master comfortable. "But, we're to late to save our master."

"The most we can do is make him comfortable until he passes." sighed Shadow. "If only we could have captured that bastard!" he growled.

"We could have used his blood to heal him." Corona stuck on that sentence.

"If he drains a human, he'll survive?"

"Yes, if he drinks at least three pints of human blood, he'll live."

"Make him drink me." she commanded, dragging herself over to him.

"No. He'll starve himself to death if he kills you to live."

"Then I'll drink his blood as well." Shadow and Venus looked dumbstruck.

"How did you know...That will turn you into a Vampire too!" yelled Venus.

"He told me. Now help me!" reluctantly the spiders forced his mouth to her neck, pouring a cup of blood collected from the wound down her throat at the same time. Everything darkened as she felt his fangs sink into her flesh.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Blood hearts Chapter 7**_

Corona woke to a dull burn in her throat. There was a slight glow from the corner, like the fire place in her room. She sat up to see Venus in the corner, weaving.

"You're awake." She said, noticing the blond. "How do you feel?"

"Thirsty." She said. Suddenly the events of the previous night came back.

"Where's Hunter?" she demanded.

"..." Corona's heart sunk at the silence. Had it been too late to save him?

"He's not..."

"He's not dead." Said Venus. "He's not really alive either. You're blood was enough to put him in a suspended sleep, what you humans would call a coma. He needs more human blood to be alright."

"But his wound?"

"Healed." She said. "He'll just remain asleep until he gets more blood. It may be a few decades until a human could be found." Corona thought for a moment, until a noise sounded from downstairs. She slipped down, amazed at the speed she now possessed. Shadow was busy disposing of Hunter's blood soaked clothes. Shadow gave her a small look, and threw the ripped, bloody fabric into the fire.

"He'll have your head, you know." Said Shadow. "When the master gets in a rage, hell hath no fury like his."

"He can't really damage me." She said.

"Oh, he wouldn't lay a finger on you." He said. "He'd go on an hour long rant on how foolish you were and all that and then go hide in his room for a few days. It always happens when we have a row with him."

"Where is he?" asked Corona, wanting a serious answer.

"Safely hidden upstairs." He said. "We had to place him in a casket so if anyone came back, they would not suspect that your Father failed."

"How am I going to find someone willing to give him blood?" sighed the blond.

"There is another way." Said Shadow. "But we'll never find her."

"Who?" asked Corona, feeling a spike of jealousy.

"Esmera." Said Venus. "She's the one who bit him centuries ago. She could easily bring him back, but then there's another problem."

"What problem?" Venus and Shadow exclaimed a look.

"Hunter hates her with every fibre of his being." Said Shadow nervously. "The last time he saw her, he destroyed half the castle, trying to kill her, and got his arm ripped off." Corona looked sick.

"Vampires can re-grow appendages." Said Venus. "But it took about twenty years, and Hunter spent most of his down time plotting her painful demise. If it came to a fight, she could and would tear you to shreds. Still, it's the only way to bring him back without killing someone."

"Where is she?" asked the blond. Both Spiders gave the equivalent of a shrug.

"Judging by how horrible the snow storms have been, she'll be dropping by soon." Said Shadow. "It's a taunt she uses to mock Master." Almost on cue, an ear splitting crash echoed through the castle, making the floor quiver.

"Impeccable timing." Huffed Venus.

"Who the hell are you?" hissed a woman's voice. Corona turned to see a slim woman in an Victorian dress and heels, her wavy brunette hair reaching her hips. Her eyes were red and slit like a cat, her pearly fangs clearly visible.

"I take it you're Esmera." Said the blond. She felt her new fangs descend, her eyes burn as they reddened. She did not like this woman, and didn't want her anywhere NEAR her Hunter. She froze.

_Did I just call him __**MY**_ _Hunter?_

"A newborn?" she scoffed. "I didn't think he had it in him. Besides, I thought I made it perfectly clear he's MINE."

"I wasn't going to let him bleed out and die." Said the blond. "I forced him to drink my blood, and I drank his. And where the HELL do you get off acting like Hunter is property." Esmera did NOT look impressed. Suddenly Corona's head connected with a wall, Esmera's hand on her forehead.

"It took too long to find and capture my little lamb, and I don't intend to lose out to a pathetic baby Vampire." She grinned evilly. "You want to see?" Corona, apparently had little say in the matter. There was blinding light, and then the blast of wind. It was in the middle of a snowstorm. She heard the whinny of a horse just past the trees. She trudged through the snow and found a small forest road. Somebody was riding through the forest, a freshly killed boar strapped to the back of a horse. Suddenly a brunette woman burst onto the path, right in the path of the horse. The horse reared up on it's hind legs, throwing the rider's hood back, revealing vibrant red hair tied back into a pony tail, as per the style of the era, green eyes wide as he tried to control the horse. When he managed to move the hourse to the side, he slipped off, helping the woman up. Corona recognized the woman as Esmera, and desperately wanted to yell, to stop what she knew would be coming soon.

"Are you alright?" he asked, looking concerned.

"I was going for a walk and I guess I got lost." She said, wrapping her arms around Hunter's neck. "My Hero." Before Hunter had the chance to react, Esmera's fangs shot out and she bit at his throat. Hunter looked pale as blood drained out, some dripping into the snow. Still holding Hunter, who was struggling to get out of her grip, she slit her wrist and forced the blood into his mouth, making him swallow. Hunter stopped moving and she let him fall into the snow.

"Hunter!" Corona heard the male voice. Esmera disappeared. Corona saw the ruddy looking man from the portrait, holding a lantern. It was pitch black out. He had the horse, who must have escaped in the commotion. She felt a spike of fear as the man worriedly examined his son and carried him home. Next she was in the palace, though it was still new and light. Blood dripped off of everything in the room. She recognized it as the room behind the curtain. The body of the man and the woman were on the floor, throats ripped out, blood soaking their clothes. The blond girl was still breathing, but quickly dying. Hunter was covered in blood, sitting on the armchair, trying not to cry, saying the same thing over and over.

"Why?" it sounded broken, like he was sobbing without tears.

"Messy." Said Esmera. "You're technique needs work. Still, who needs something as pathetic as family when you're immortal?" She saw Hunter's eyes go red, like when he had attacked her Father. He picked up the gun on the floor near his Father and loaded it.

"You can't kill me." She huffed. Hunter put the barrel in his mouth, and shot.

Blood splattered everywhere, a bit of skull and brain with it. Hunter merely choked as the damage repaired itself.

"You can't die." She chuckled. "You're mine forever." Hunter slashed her throat when she tried to come close. She frowned as her throat healed, but leaving a scar.

"Go away." He hissed, ready to fight her off. She growled as she noticed the scar.

"One scar for another." She hissed, Forcing him on the ground, ripping off his arm. Hunter looked like he was in agony.

"I'll be back." She said, glaring. "And by then, I hope you learn not to reject your mistress."

"I hate you." Hissed Hunter.


End file.
